Darren Purse Cup Confidence

As the Bluebirds prepare for their Wembley showdown with Portsmouth, skipper Darren Purse takes time out to explain to Icons why he's confident the cup will return to Cardiff after an 81 year absence.

'If you'd walked into a bookies at the start of the season, I think you would have got very long odds on the FA Cup final being Cardiff against Portsmouth and it will be a few more years before it ever happens again. But here we are, Wembley is beckoning and we can't wait for Saturday.

'We've had a very relaxed week as we prepare for the game, and we're trying to keep it all as low-key as possible. There's a lot more media interest and we had a big press day on Monday - so that makes it a bit harder to keep everything normal but it has gone well. We're not travelling until Friday which is what we would usually do for an away game, so the lads have been training, working hard and not letting the occasion get to them. It's all looking very good.

'I hope that the final isn`t seen as a case of England versus Wales. I don`t think it will, but it would take away from the occasion of Portsmouth versus Cardiff City. That`s the big day and a huge occasion for the fans of those two clubs - not the fans of England and Wales. I hope that everyone can enjoy the game as rival clubs and not rival countries.'